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A. G. GROSS TIME RECORDER Jan. 17, 1961 Filed oct. 14. 1957 Jan. 17,1961 A. G. @Ross TIME RECORDER 2 SheetsfSheet 2 y Filed Oct. 14, 1957PRIOR ART INVENTOR. 62055 zorve/V United States Patent O TIME RECORDERArthur G. Gross, 23104 Hawthorne Ave., Torrance, Calif.

Filed Oct. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 690,025

3 Claims. (Cl. 346-85) This invention relates to improvements in timecards for use with so-called clipper-type time clocks.

Clipper-type time clocks comprise, in the well known manner, a casehaving a guideway, generally vertically oriented, into which a time cardis adapted to be inserted. Stamping mechanism is operated in response toengagement of the card with a trigger which extends into the guideway tostamp the time on the card for purposes of recording the time of arrivaland departure `of an employee to and from his place of employment.

Time clocks of the character under discussion derive their name from thefact that a punch mechanism is operative in response to successiveinsertions of a card into the clock, to punch out successive portions ofone side edge of the card starting from the bottom of the latter. Eachof these punching operations forms a downwardly facing shoulder edgewhich engages the aforementioned trigger during the succeeding insertionof the card into the clock.

Thus, during each insertion of the card, the latter is pushed downwardlyinto the guideway of the clock until the previously formed shoulder edgeon the card engages the clock trigger whereupon the stamping mechanismand punch mechanism are simultaneously operated to stamp the time on thecard and punch out a succeeding portion lof the side edge of the card.

During the next insertion, the card is lowered into the clock a greaterdistance than during the previous insertion, depending upon thedimension of the punched out portion. Accordingly, the stampingmechanism, which Vis stationarily oriented relative to the trigger,stamps its indicia on a slightly different portion of the card than thatbearing the previously stamped indicia. f

In the completed time card, therefore, the stamped time groups areformed one directly above the other in ,a vertical row, the earliesttime group appearing adjacent the bottom of the card and the latest timegroup appearing adjacent the top of the card. The number of time groupsappearing on the card, of course, depends rupon the number of insertionsof the card into the time rclock. The primary advantage of this type oftime clock is that a time card may be used a greater number of timesYthan with other types of time clocks wherein the spacing Vbetweensuccessive time groups varies in accordance with 'the elapsed timebetween successive insertions of the card. Also, one time group is notimprinted on top of Ia previous time group, as sometimes occurs in othertypes of time clocks.

The primary deiiciency of prior time cards for clippertype time clocksis that, because of the reasons discussed` below, they could not beprinted with horizontal grid lines for separating adjacent pairs of timegroups denoting each successive arrival and departure of an employee.Thus, owing to certain variable factors, such as varying rates ofinsertion of cards into the clock by different persons and mechanicaldifference between different machines, the lengthwise extent of theportion 2,968,521 Patented Jan. 17, 1961 ICC of a card which was removedby the punch mechanism varied slightly from card to card. This resultsin an appreciable variance in the spacing between adjacent time groupson different cards, which variance accumulated during each successiveuse of the card.

Obviously, this variance precluded the use of preformed horizontal gridlines on the card, since the successive time groups would not beaccurately imprinted between such grid lines. Separation of the timegroups denoting an arrival and a subsequent departure of an ernployee,of course, is highly desirable for facility of bookkeeping since theseveral increments of time spent by the employee on the job, asindicated by the differences in time between the associated pairs oftime groups denoting each arrival and subsequent departure, may be morereadily ascertained when such associated pairs of time groups areseparated by grid lines.

This deficiency of existing time cards for clipper-type time clocks isavoided in the present invention by the provision of a series ofreregistry perforations along that side edge of the card which ispunched by the punch mechanism. These perforations are accuratelylocated relative to preformed horizontal grid lines on the card andperiodically provide preformed shoulder edges, for engaging the triggerof the time clock, which are accurately aligned with respect to the gridlines of the card. Thus, in effect, the trigger engaging shoulder edgeof the card is periodically accurately reregistered with the grid linesand the cumulative variance, previously mentioned, between adjacent timegroups is avoided.

Owing to this reregistry of the time card with the stamping mechanism ofthe time clock, the time groups are accurately imprinted between thepreformed grid lines on the card. The horizontal grid lines may bespaced, for example, to separate each pair of time groups denoting anarrival and a subsequent departure of an employee so that the timeinterval between each such pair of time groups and therefore, the totaltime spent by an employee on a job, may be more readily ascertained.

With the foregoing discussion in mind, a broad object of the inventionmay be stated as being the provision of a new and improved time card foruse with so-called clipper-type time clocks.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a time cardof the character described which is periodically accurately reregisteredwith the stamping mechanism of the time clock so that the time groupsimprinted on the card have a relatively constant spacing regardless ofthe speed of insertion of the card into a clipper-type time clock.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a time card of thecharacter described which is preformed with horizontal grid lines andwherein the card is periodically accurately reregistered relative to thestamping mechanism of the time clock so that successive time groups areaccurately imprinted between adjacent grid lines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a time card of thecharacter described which is simple in construction, inexpensive toproduce, and which greatly facilitates bookkeeping operations inconnection with the card.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdetailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic showing in side elevation and partially insection, of a so-called clipper-type time clock with which the time cardof this invention is intended to be used;

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the present time card prior to use;

assegna:

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the time card as itappears after several insertions into a clipper-type time clock;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the present time cardillustrating the reregistry perforations therein;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail illustrating the nonuniform time groupspacing which is obtained in conventional time cards for clipper-typetime clocks; and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate modified forms of the present time card.

Referring now to these drawings, and particularly to Figures l and 2,diagrammatically illustrating a so-called clipper-type time clock, thenumerals 10 and 11 denote a pair of plates which define therebetween aguideway 12 for slideably receiving the present time card 14. In theconventional clipper-type time clock, the plates 10 and 11 are tixedlymounted in a case, indicated in phantom lines at 16. The upper end ofthe guideway 12 opens through the upper panel of the case, as shown, toaccommodate insertion of the card 14 into the guideway. The upper edgesof the plates may be flared to facilitate such insertion of the card.

As shown in Figure 2, as well as in Figures 3 and 4, the present timecard 14 is of rectangular configuration, guideway 12 having a width, asviewed in Figure 2, substantially equal to the width of the time card14.

Indicated at 18 is the stamping mechanism of the clock which isoperative in response to each insertion of the card 14 into the guideway12 to imprint on the card the time of insertion. As shown in Figure 4,the time indicia in each of the successive time groups 20 imprinted onthe card are arranged in a horizontal row on the card while the severaltime groups 2@ are arranged in a vertical row.

Operation of the stamping mechanism 18 in response to insertion of thecard 14 into the guideway 12 is initiated by engagement of the card witha trigger 22. To this end, trigger 22 has one end projecting across theguideway 12 through openings 23 in the guide plates 10 and 11. Trigger22 comprises the actuating element of a normally open microswitch 24.Switch 24 is arranged to be closed in response to downward depression ofthe trigger 22 by a card 14 in the manner illustrated in Figure l.Stamping mechanism 18 is in circuit with and operated by closure of theswitch 24.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, trigger 22 is located adjacent the lowerend and left-hand side of the guideway 12. Concentric with the trigger22 is a hollow, cylindrical punch 26 having a circular cutting edge 28at the end thereof proximate to the guideway 12.

Openings 23 in the plates 10 and 11 are of a size to slideably receivethe punch 26, so that the latter is capable of axial movement throughthe guideway 12, plate 11 acting as a punch plate. Normally, the cuttingedge 28 of the punch is retracted out of the guideway, as shown inFigure 1.

Indicated at 30 is a solenoid which, when energized, is effective tomove the punch into the guideway to punch the card 14. A spring, notshown, returns the punch to its normal position when the solenoid isdeenergized. Solenoid 30 is in circuit with the trigger switch 24 and isenergized, simultaneously with energization of the stamping mechanism18, in response to depression of the trigger 22.

The clipper-type time clock described above is conventional, and a morecomplete structural description thereof may be had by reference to theappropriate prior art.

The time card 14 of this invention will be observed to be generallysimilar to existing time cards for clipper-type time clocks. The presentcard differs from the existing cards, however, in that a series ofequally spaced perforations 34 are preformed along the left-hand edge ofthe card, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4. It will be observed in Figure 2that the perforations 34 are so located crosswise of the card 14 as tobe vertically aligned with the trigger 22 when the card is inserted inthe guide: way 12.

Also, the present time card preferably, though not necessarily, has aseries of equally spaced, horizontal grid lines 36 and a series ofvertical grid lines 38 irnprinted thereon. Existing time cards of thischaracter, on the other hand, were printed only with the vertical gridlines 38 for reasons preliminarily mentioned and to be presently morefully discussed.

As previously mentioned, in use of the present time card, the latter isinserted into the guideway 12 until the card engages the trigger 22,whereupon the stamping mechanism 18 is operated to imprint a time markor group 20 on the card. The lowermost grid line is spaced from thelower edge of the card a distance which is less by a predeterminedamount than distance A between the trigger 22 and the axis of the timestamp 1-8 so that the irst time mark is imprinted above the lower gridline. Simultaneously, the punch solenoid 30 is energized and the punch26 is thrust to the left, as viewed in Figure l.

This operation of the punch produces a semi-circular cutout or notch,indicated at 40, along the left-hand edge of the card, as is well knownto users of clipper-type time clocks, and as may be readily observed inFigures 4 and 5. The axis of the stamping mechanism 18 is spaced adistance above the punch, as shown, so that the time group 20,corresponding to each cutout 40, is imprinted a distance above theshoulder edge formed by the respective cutout.

When the card is first inserted, of course, its lower edge engages thetrigger 22 and a first semi-circular cutout, indicated in phantom linesat 40a in Figure 4, is formed at the lower left-hand corner of the card.The shoulder edge 42a formed by this first cutout or notch engages thetrigger 22 during the next insertion of the card into the clock. On thesecond insertion, therefore, the card must be lowered into the guideway12 a slightly greater distance than during the first insertion.

The second time group 20 is, therefore, imprinted di rectly above thefirst time group. Operation of the punch 26 in response to the secondinsertion of the card produces a second semi-circular cutout or notch40h along the left-hand edge of the card and a second notch shoulderedge 42b which, in the existing time cards, engaged the trigger 22during the third insertion of the card, and so on in the well knownmanner.

It will be clear that if the time groups 20 are to have a predeterminedspacing, measured lengthwise of the card, as is necessary to accurateimprinting of the time groups between preformed horizontal grid lines onthe card, the shoulder spacing D1, between successively formed shoulderedges on the card, must have a predetermined value determined by thehorizontal grid line spacing on the time card. In the case of the cardillustrated, of course, wherein two time groups 28 are to be imprintedbetween each pair of horizontal grid lines, the shoulder spacing D1 mustbe approximately equal to one half the horizontal grid line spacing toassure accurate imprinting of the time groups in the grid spaces definedbetween the horizontal grid lines.

The desirabiity of having the horizontal grid lines 36 imprinted on thecard has been discussed earlier and will be apparent. Thus, for facilityof bookkeeping, it is advantageous that each pair of the time groups 20,denoting an arrival time and a subsequent departure time, be bracketedby a pair of the grid lines 36 so that the elapsed time between the timegroups of each such pair of time groups, and hence the total time spentby the employee on the job, may be more easily ascertained.

In order that the horizontal grid lines 36 may be effective for thispurpose, obviously, it is necessary that the pairs of start and stoptime groups be accurately imprinted in the grid spaces between adjacentgrid lines. The time cards used by different employees will', of course,be identical and have the same horizontal grid line spacing.

accesar Accordingly, if the time groups on the cards of differentemployees are to be accurately located between the grid lines, asrequired above, the adjacent time groups on the several cards must haveapproximately the same spacing. This spacing, which is related to thegrid line spacing, is ideally one half of the grid line spacing whereeach pair of adjacent grid lines are to bracket a pair of time groups.

In practice, it has been found, however, that with existing time cards,the time group spacing varies from card to card owing to the varyingrates of insertion of the cards into time clocks by different persons.Thus, a delay, though brief, occurs between the instant of contact oftrigger 22 by a card, and operation of the stamping mechanism 18 andpunch. During the brief delay, of course, cards inserted at differentrates move slightly different distances past the stamping mechanism andpunch.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the faster the rate of insertion ofa card, the greater will be the spacing between one time group on thecard and the adjacent time group. Also, increasing the rate of cardinsertion results in an increase in the spacing between adjacentshoulder edges formed on the card by the punch. An increase in theshoulder edge spacing, of course, results in a still further increase inthe following time group spacing.

From what has just been said, it is clear that a column of time groupsimprinted on a card inserted at a relatively fast rate will be elongatedrelative to a time group column on a card inserted at a slower rate.This, of course, is based on the assumption that any given card issuccessively inserted at substantially the same rate, as is generallytrue in practice.

Assuming now that a card is preformed with horizontal grid lines toaccommodate the time group spacing on the more rapidly inserted card, itwill be apparent that the time groups will be accurately imprintedbetween the grid lines. If a card having this grid line spacing isinserted Aat the slower rate, however, the time group column will ybeshortened or compressed, relative to that on the more rapidly insertedcard, with the result that the time groups will gradually creepdownwardly across the grid lines :toward the upper end of the card inthe manner illus- :trated in Figure 6.

A similar, but opposite, result obtains if a card, preiformed with gridlines having a spacing to accommodate the time group spacing o-btainedwith the slower rate of insertion, is inserted at a faster rate. In thiscase, the Vtime group column is elongated, as previously noted, and thetime groups toward the upper end of the card gradually creep upwardlyacross the grid lines. Clearly then, the use of preformed horizontalgrid lines on existing time cards of this type is impractical and of noadavntage.

As previously indicated, the variance in time group spacing betweencards inserted at different rates is due partly to the variance in therates of insertion and partly to the difference in the resultingshoulder edge spacing. The variance resulting solely from the differentrates of insertion is relatively small and can be compensated for bymaking the horizontal grid line spacing sufiicient to accommodate agiven maximum variance from this cause.

The variance in grid line spacing resulting from the difference inshoulder edge spacing, on the other hand, is cumultive in nature andresults in the aforesaid creep of the time groups across the grid linesin the case of existing time cards.

From what has been said above, it will be clear that if this cumulativevariance is avoided or periodically eliminated by continuous or periodicregistry of the trigger engaging shoulder edges in the card with thehorizontal grid lines, and the spacing between such lines be madesufiicent to accommodate the slight variance in time group spacingresulting from different rates of card insertion, the time groups willbe accurately imprinted between the grid lines regardless of the rate ofinsertion.

This registry or periodic reregistry of the grid lines and triggerengaging shoulder edges is accomplished on the present card by theperforations 34 which afford pre formed shoulder edges on the card thatface the lower end of the card and periodically actuate the trigger 22.

Referring to Figure 5, the numerals 42a and 42b indicate the positionsalong the left-hand edge of the card 14 whereat the first two shoulderedges will be formed on a card inserted into the time clock of Figures 1and 2 at a preselected minimum rate. Similarly, the numerals 42a and 42bindicate the positions whereat the first two shoulder edges will beformed on a card inserted at a preselected maximum rate. These maximumand minimum rates are arbitrarily chosen and based on observations ofthe rates of insertion of cards by an average group of persons. Thespacing between the shoulder edges 42a and 42b has been denoted as D1,and the spacing between the shoulder edges 42a and 42b has been denotedas D2. The shoulder spacings D1 and D2 are, obviously, approximatelyequal to the radial spacing between the trigger 22 and the cutting edge28 of the punch.

In the form of the card illustrated in Figure 5, the

perforations 34 are equally spaced along the card by a distance D3 whichis approximately equal to or slightly greater than twice the maximumshoulder spacing D2. As shown, the diameters of the perforations 34 aresuch that the latter intersect the notch shoulder edges formed at everyother shoulder edge position of minimum shoulder edge spacing. See, forexample, the intersection of the second shoulder edge position 42b withthe first perforation. These perforations have their centers on a commonline paraleling and spaced from the lefthand edge of the card a distanceapproximately equal to the spacing between the trigger 22 and theleft-hand side of guideway 12.

As shown, the card is preformed with equally spaced, horizontal gridlines 36. The spacing D4 between the grid lines is approximately equalto the perforation spacing D3 and approximately twice the aforesaidradial proximately equal to one-fourth of the grid line spacingr D4,below the center line of the first time group imprinted on the card whenthe latter is inserted in the clock at a rate approximately equal to theaverage of the aforesaid maximum and minimum rates.

From this description, it will be seen that the first notch shoulderedge formed on the card will be located in coincidence with or somewherebetween the first shoulder edge positions 42a and 42a in Figure 5,depending on the rate of insertion of the card. Simultaneously, firsttime group 20 will be imprinted a distance above the lower, or first,grid line 36.

During the second insertion of the card into the clock, a secondshoulder edge is formed in coincidence with or between the secondshoulder edge positions 42b and 42b'. Simultaneously, the second timegroup 20 is imprinted above the first time group. The spacing be tweencenters of these first two time groups will be at least equal to theminimum shoulder edge spacing D1, but not greater than the maximumshoulder edge spacing D2. The second time group, therefore, is imprintedbetween the first two grid lines.

lIt will be observed that since the second formed shoulder edge lies onor between the second shoulder edge positions 42b and 42b', the secondformed shoulder edge will intersect the first perforation 34. Upon thethird insertion of the card, therefore, the trigger 22 of the time 7clock engages the upper shoulder edge of the first perforation 34 ratherthan the second notch shoulder edge, as Vindicated in Figure 5.

The upper shoulder edge of each perforation is spaced a predetermineddistance lengthwise of the card from one ofthe grid lines. In theillustrated card, this distance is equal to distance A minus one fourthofthe grid line spacing. As a result, each time a perforation shoulderedge actuates the trigger 22, the respective time mark 2t) is imprintedabove the respective grid line a distance equal to one fourth, the gridline spacing. During the fourth insertion of the card, the trigger 22 ofthe clock engages the third shoulder edge formed during the thirdinsertion, and the fourth time group is imprinted below the third gridvline.

The fourth shoulder edge formed at this time, of course, intersects thesecond perforation 34. During the fifth insertion of the card,therefore, the trigger 22 engages the edge of the second perforationwhich is accurately registered with the third horizontal grid line. Thefifth time group is,v therefore, accurately imprinted just above thethird grid line, and so on.

It is clear, therefore, that regardless of the rate of insertion of thecard, so long as the rate is in the range between the aforementionedmaximum and minimum rate, every second shoulder edge formed by the punch26 of the time clock will intersect a perforation 34. Accordingly,during every other insertion of a card into the clock, the trigger 22 ofthe clock engages the edge of a perforation rather than the shoulderedge formed by the punch 2.6 during the previous insertion of the card.

The trigger-engaging shoulder edges of the card are, therefore,periodically reregistered with the horizontal grid lines ony the card.VThe cumulative variance, previously mentioned, is thus avoided so thatthe time groups 20 are accurately imprinted between the grid lines.

The perforations 34 need not be uniformly spaced nor arranged to berendered effective during alternate insertions of the card. into theclock, as just described. Thus, the perforations might be arranged withan irregular spacing, the spacing between adjacent perforations,however, being an even multiple or fraction of the horizontal grid linespacing. Also, the perforations might be located to effect reregistry ofthe card with the stamping mechanism of the time clock during eachinsertion of the card, as shown in Figure 7, or during fourth or fifthinsertion, for example, rather than during alternate insertions of thecard, as just described.

If desired, the perforations may be other than circular in shape, suchas generally rectangular in shape, as shown at 34a in Figure 8, or maycomprise a series of notches 34b opening through the left-hand edge ofthe card as illustrated in Figure 9.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that there has beendescribed and illustrated a time card which is fully capable ofattaining the objects and advantages preliminarily set forth and thatvarious modifications of the card are possible within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, a rectangular time card and a time clock having aguideway open at one end which is proportioned to slidably receive thetime card by endwise insertion of one end of the card through the openend of the guideway, said time clock including a time stamp adjacent theopen end of the guideway, a cylindrical punch adjacent the other end andone side of the guidemeans including a trigger extending into theguideway-ap,

proximately on said axis for simultaneously operating,`

said timestamp to imprint a time mark on the card andi: axially movingsaid punch to notch said card along one, sidein response to endwiseinsertion of the card throughl the guideway into engagement with saidtrigger, said time stamp imprinting the card a predetermined distancelengthwise of the guideway from said punch axis, said card having aplurality of transverse grid lines equally spaced lengthwise of thecard, the spacing between said one end of the card and the adjacent gridline being less than said predetermined distance by a predeterminedamount less than the grid line spacing whereby the first time mark isimprinted a given distance above the latter grid line during the firstinsertion of the card' into the clock, the notch made in the card bysaid punch during each insertion of the card into the clock defining ashoulder edge facing said one end of the card for engaging the triggerduring the next insertion of the card whereby successive time marks areimprinted on the card one above the other in a row extending lengthwiseof the card and at a relatively uniform spacing approximately equal tothe radial distance from said trigger to the cutting edge of the punch,the spacing between grid lines on the card having a predeterminedrelationship to said radial spacing such that successive time marks areimprinted between the grid lines, said time card also having a row ofpreformed perforations along said one side thereof which are located tobe aligned with the trigger when the card is in the guideway and definesecond shoulder edges facing said one end of the card, the spacinglengthwise of the card between each second shoulder edge and said oneend of the card being approximately equal to N times said radial spacingwhere N is any whole number and each perforation extending a distancetoward said one end of the card from its respective second shoulder edgewhereby each perforation is intersected by a notch produced in the cardduring a given insertion of the card into the clock and the secondshoulder edge of the respective perforation engages said trigger duringthe following insertion of the card, and each second shoulder edge beingspaced lengthwise of the card from a given grid line a distance whichdiffers from said predetermined distance by a predetermined fraction ofthe grid line spacing whereby the grid lines on the time card areaccurately aligned with the time stamp for accurate imprinting of thetime marks between the grid lines during each actuation of the triggerby a second shoulder edge.

2. The subject matter of claim l wherein said perforations are equallyspaced along the time card.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said grid line spacing is equalto twice said radial spacing and said given distance is equal to onefourth of the grid line spacing, whereby two time marks are imprinted onthe time card between each adjacent pair of grid lines.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 657,162Giroud Sept. 4, 1900 2,824,777 Gieringer Feb. 25, 1958- FOREIGN PATENTS44,755 Sweden Nov. 27, 1918y 588,855 Great Britain June 4, 1947

